The Salvatore Saga, Part Four: My new Life

It had been a few days and my office in the attic was fully operational. Of course, Mariella had taken the number one, as well as two and four, positions in bed to tend to her very hormonal state. She needed a lot of comfort and had to be filled many times as she was pregnant. I had overheard this as I passed by on my way to the kitchen.

Wulfe, Magnum, and my team of four were busy transforming the hidden rooms and corridors into open ones. Sometimes, magic was needed to deal with the load-bearing walls, while other times, good old-fashioned building techniques sufficed. Murdock, Dexter, and Alaric were also involved in this operation.

Fortunately, I had plenty of time to focus on my work, at least for the first two weeks. After that, I knew I would have to be more watchful as the cubs might become too active to allow me to fully concentrate on my job. However, since I had obtained a certain folder from the magic house about the cubs, I had also assigned tasks to Tim, Taylor, Dresden, and Constantine.

We had no idea in the past about the magic house's involvement with the cubs. Initially, we had taught them and shown them movies, but eventually, we simply let them be animals. However, since they were not just regular animals and the magic house had a lot of teaching to do whenever a new batch of cubs arrived, they had a specific schedule for what to teach them and when.

This schedule covered weeks 1 to 12, so I wanted to ensure that my cubs would be a little easier for them to handle. I hadn't shared this information with the Salvatores. Whoever was available among them was busy dealing with the wolves and attending to Mariella's pheromones, Elena's needs, and Katherine's demands.

I was either too lazy or simply didn't want to get involved in the middle of all that. Let her mess with the men and the rest of the pack if she wants. It was a real eye-opener for Wulfe, Magnum, Colin, and the others to witness this. I hadn't told Wulfe or the others about what I was doing or where I had gone.

I had only familiarized myself with what we had and how old Anders had cared for them. Leo could handle some of them, and I could handle some as well, but I would need to learn more about them first.

In the meantime, I had already started working on my list-making project. It always brought me down a bit, not in a way that would affect the cubs, but rather in a way that made me question my leadership.

I was seated behind my desk, absentmindedly running my hand through my hair as I tried to regain my focus. It was time to continue working on these lists that seemed never-ending. Suddenly, a delightful peach scent wafted into the room, accompanied by the sound of approaching footsteps. I looked up and noticed Mariella walking in.

She seemed ashamed as she asked, "Can I come in? What on earth are you doing? Working? I've been such an idiot these past five days. I'm sorry about that."

I raised my gaze and muttered, "Well, it's just that you're pregnant, but it's fine. Yes, I am working. I need to get these tasks done."

She walked over and sat across from me, commenting, "Wow, this table is just as beautiful as Damon described. I'm sorry for getting jealous and not letting him share this with you. And you're not interested in that anymore, right?"

I nodded in agreement. Just then, my computer beeped, indicating that the algorithm had finished processing my cases. I grabbed my tablet and used it to organize the files into another folder.

Mariella said to me, "Please, let me help. Tell me what you're doing. The Salvatores are cooking and setting up rooms. Why are they building in this wing too? The rooms look nice."

I replied, "This will be my area for raising the cubs. You can have your room somewhere else."

She frowned and asked, "Area? What do you mean?"

Feeling exhausted and not in the mood for a long explanation or negotiation, I decided to be straightforward, so I stood up, walked over to one of the bookcases that I had teleported here, and took out a red binder.

I handed it to her and said, "Here is the magic house's plan for educating the cubs during their first 12 weeks. I want to make it easier for them and ensure that my cubs are more than just animals."

She opened the binder, read a bit, furrowed her brow, and exclaimed, "Wow, we've been doing it completely wrong. Have you told Damon about this?"

I shook my head and replied, "Dresden and Constantine were the ones who told me. I asked the Magic House for advice and they sent me this information. As you know, cubs are extremely vulnerable during their first two weeks. They have their own rooms, and then there are activity rooms for the older ones. According to the Magic House, it would be beneficial to keep them in for six weeks, allowing them some time outside, but still keeping them safe. Colin is making sure that the little ones are as protected as possible, and there is a den for me to give birth in too."

Mariella interrupted, saying, "Whoa, hold on. I need to tell Damon about this and see what he thinks. He has a say in this as well."

I looked at Mariella and responded, "Does he now? But I don't want to get hurt by him, and I don't want my cubs to suffer if he can't get it together. My feline side demands stability for my cubs, actually."

Mariella nodded and asked, "Can I take this information and show it to him?"

I nodded, and she teleported out of the room.

A few hours later, just as I was about to go and grab something to eat, Damon walked in with numbers two and four, as well as Wulfe, Magnum, and Alaric. They all looked at my desk.

Alaric whispered something to Damon, who then looked at the desk and said to me, "Baby, if I can get you a more suitable desk... That desk is incredibly rare and valuable, more so than the Mona Lisa. It should go to our museum, or maybe somewhere else. You see, this is a rarity. Alaric recognized the style, but it very well might be that this has been hidden in here for a long time, as this is from the era of Louis XVI."

Number two quickly moved my things out of the desk as number seven teleported an enormous desk into my room. It was large enough for everyone to sit around.

As they moved my nice antique desk away, I looked at them and said, "I'm in the middle of something, so if you have something to say..."

Damon interrupted, saying, "It's time for you to teach us what you're doing. Wulfe and Charles have sensed your distress for three days now, so I want to hear what the hell is going on."

I sighed and replied, "Nothing is going on. I'm just making lists for upcoming missions, but the sad reality is that I can't fit them all in. So someone out there keeps suffering, no matter how hard I try."

Damon nodded as they arranged my belongings on the table. I took my seat and soon others began to arrive. Mariella and the wolves brought an abundance of food. There was also coffee and drinks. Soon laptops were whirring on. Even Mariella and Wolves had theirs too.

Damon turned to me and said, "Let's begin. First, you can explain how you go about this, and then we can contribute. You know I am the king of vampires, and I have plenty of loyal and hungry vampires under my command. We might be able to help."

I had little time to argue as Magnum and Alaric quickly fixed my laptop. Soon, my display was projected onto the wall for everyone to see. I had a large stack of files on the right side of my desk. It was time to start my lesson again.

I addressed everyone. "As you know, Adam taught me that cyber security is crucial. We rely primarily on paper rather than digital means for our plans. Hacking is a major concern, and we can't risk anyone infiltrating our bases and stealing our files. Digital versions are much more vulnerable, no matter how strong your firewall is."

Adam and Damon nodded in agreement.

Alaric chimed in, "Yes, I understand. I appreciate we use physical files instead of digital ones. But what lists are you making, and how?"

I explained, "As you know, we have our hint line and rumor pool in the dark web. Now, as I mentioned to Damon earlier, there are certain aspects that you might not have considered. Our intelligence team will handle these rumors and hints by filling out a form and creating a file, like this."

I showed them a simple paper with a few fields to fill in. "Here, you can see that you include a few details as you fill it out. First, the type of threat or mission, such as rescue, explosion, or chemical. Then, the possible culprit, including their name and location, and which country they are from. We also include likely victims and potential deaths, as well as a threat assessment."

Damon nodded and asked, "The intel seems quite limited, but what's the purpose behind it?"

I responded, "You place this 'threat report' in its own physical folder, and in the computer system, you assign a name and number to it. It will then be filed away in our system, while the rumor or hint is deleted. Our intelligence team will continue gathering information, and as more incidents occur, whether near or actual hits, they will be connected to this case. Once we have gathered enough evidence, it will become one of our pending cases, waiting to be addressed."

Magnum nodded in understanding, and Mariella asked, "So it's a simple process, where everything falls in line, right? As you get enough data, you put it next on the list, right?"

 I shook my head and explained, "Well, I'm the one responsible for making our lists. Do you remember that long list we've been working on for the past few years? I am the one making those lists. It covers the whole of America, and it's my job to print out all the pending cases that are ready to move on and organize them into physical files. But each country has its list, its cases and I have to make sure those lists are done and missions are done. The first page contains all the information, which I carefully read through. Then, the computer takes over."

Damon frowned and questioned, "Surely there aren't that many cases?"

Tiredly, I smiled and replied, "I've already printed around 400 cases, and there are still at least 1200 more waiting. However, I need to prioritize slotting in these printed cases first, as new ones keep coming in. So, once I print a case and find a suitable slot for it, it becomes 'active.' From that point on, all the case information is only available in its paper version. After I print it out, the computer deletes all the data, except for the reference number. The computer sends me the necessary information, so I can use it as I line up the cases. So I put everything in this very file that has been collected from that case. That is now on the list waiting for someone to pick it out."

I showed them the files on my left side, and the printed-out cases, and continued my explanation. "But before printing, I read the reports and gathered as much additional information as possible to create a 'threat report.' so I added here stuff on it. Not that vague anymore. Once it's complete, I scan it and send it to a special program. So far, I've prepared and scanned about 400 cases, and the computer has all the information. These are now waiting for me to see who gets slotted in."

I looked around so everyone was on the same page.

I continued my lesson. "Before they get to be slotted, they need to be sorted. I categorize the cases as green, meaning top priority, yellow, meaning secondary priority, or black, meaning not yet happening. The computer also provides recommendations, although sometimes we disagree. Ultimately, I have to decide. And then comes the hard part. Green ones are usually who make to the list."

Damon nodded, and number nine asked, "Good, but what makes it hard?"

I opened my computer list, which included numbers, colors, and the respective countries.

I explained, "You see, there are exclamation points next to certain countries, indicating that the list is already full for those places. In these cases, even if they are categorized as green, they don't fit in. Not every green makes it to the list, just yet. So, I don't print them yet. I only print the cases that make it onto the list. This way, when it's time to move forward with a mission, the information is only available in its paper version, ensuring protection against hacking." 

I looked around again. I saw slight confusion on their faces. It was time to tell them the ugly truth, despite how much I wanted to protect them. 

My voice was calm as I opened the list a little more, and they saw from the display my pointer move. "This is what makes it so damn hard. The ugly truth."

I clicked on one of the numbers, and a file opened. It was a facility in Australia, one of Krychecks, with confirmed fatalities of 50 and a possible presence of Krycheck. I let them read the information.

I said, "This is not printed out yet because I couldn't fit it in. This is just one of many and it has been like this for years, but still gets me."

They looked at the display and there was this silence as they tried to comprehend the whole damn picture.

I explained, "This case will still be pending, as our list in Australia is full. I can't help these cases at the moment, and the next time this case comes up for me to list, the victim count will be higher than just 50. I won't print it out yet because there is no slot available for it. We always have to prioritize everything. Its threat status is lower than active cases currently in Australia. There are more important targets. This is my organization, my burden to bear. It is true, you know as they say that the more you know, the more it hurts. Ignorance is truly bliss, and I just took that bliss away from you."

Mariella said, "But we have to..."

I locked eyes with her. "This is why I'm in a funk. I can't help them all, especially cases like this."

I clicked on the next number, which was also green. "This case is now in Poland. We finally have an open slot for it. This case initially started with possibly 2 unconfirmed victims."

My pointer now showed the confirmed deaths of 156 individuals. "As you can see, all of them died because we couldn't reach them earlier. In Poland, there are more dangerous and larger areas with fewer people on bases to make missions."

Wulfe stared at me. I could sense his dissatisfaction in my mind. I overheard Salvatores speaking among themselves.

Finally, Damon said, "Fine, here's what we'll do now. First, I'll contact the vampires, and they will have a little incentive. Nowadays, it's rare for vampires to get a meal directly from a vein, but those places are like walking McDonald's for them. They will take care of those perpetrators. Alaric, you start from your end, and we'll start from ours. Our first priority is to handle all the cases where there are victims, and then we can address the others."

I remained silent, unsure if this would be a long-term solution, but at least they were now aware.

Let's see what we can accomplish, I said to them. "Now, those cases that make it onto the list will only exist on paper from this day forward. The computer will have their reference numbers, but not the details. If new information arises, like certain coordinates in Italy, the computer will alert me on my special tablet. This is Billy's creation, and it is as secure as possible. However, we keep the digital information as vague as possible, so even if someone were to access it, they wouldn't have any idea. I have the information locked in my mind, like a key to a safe. This way, I can read the files and have the reference numbers stored in my memory to access the information in the right place."

Damon and Alaric both looked at me sternly.

Damon said, "That's the end. You have created a nasty choking point there. We need to change that, baby. You might have set this up, but you don't want to be the weak link here. If you're the only one who can link these files, what happens if you get hit and are out of action for six months or even longer? We need to get some backup right now."

I remained silent. Once again, Damon had pointed out a major problem that I had overlooked due to my hubris or my arrogant belief in my invincibility. I was trying to come up with a solution when Damon asked me to explain the rest.

He said, "Let's get to that, but first, what happens to the files when they're listed?"

I replied, "I would teleport them into bases where they are assigned. As you may not know, Wulfe has created teleportation locations, so we have shelves where files come in and go out. I send Italian files to bases in Italy, and each country has its own base. We also have a receiving shelf where we get files from other places or requisitions. Each base has a special room, but since it's classified information, I've never shown it to you. So, each base has files waiting, and if another base can take on a mission, they can request the file to be sent to them. It's only the physical files that are transferred. The actual information is stored in each base, and when a base receives a notification or acknowledges that they have the files, the intelligence personnel will add any extra information if necessary. Usually, I send them what the computer sends to me. I print them out and send them."

Adam chimed in, "It's possible to set up a highly secure network so that you don't have to be the sole keeper of the information. I'll put my business to work on fixing one for us. It'll be more secure than the dark web, and then we can move on."

I noticed several Salvatores tapping their phones, eager to mobilize as many vampires as possible to deal with those who didn't make the cut.

Number two asked, "And what about the NSA? How do they fit in?"

I nodded and replied, " There are few culprits that they seek. They're the focus of my handlers. I'll send them a list of targets, the strong ones with plenty of evidence that they could also find. They'll pick and choose. Occasionally, we get a little push from upstairs. Like years ago in India, we had four troublesome locations, and I had a hard time figuring out how to take them out. Well, a major earthquake took care of them, wiping them out completely. Of course, there were casualties, but those were covered up. But it's a rare occurrence."

Alaric was the one who pointed out the obvious. "Wouldn't it be pertinent for us to help with ongoing cases and then have more freedom on our list? Or do you have to prioritize these? How much?"

I said to him, "In my list, I prioritize greens, but I don't put them in any specific order. It is up to the base leader to assign missions from the list. It is base to base on what missions are ongoing. I don't keep myself up to date on those unless necessary. So I have no idea what is already being planned and what is waiting. So sure, you can take care of surplus or yellows, blacks even, but not everything is certain that they are nasty places. Not everything has enough data yet."

Damon number five grunted and said, "Now babe, send us that list. I have already gotten info from your mind, thank you, Wulfe, for that. So we can move these along, and we will have access to them, right? So once we get confirmation that a place is taken down, we can take it off and you have time to focus on being a mom."

I gotta say; it was irritating that Wulfe was able to just pluck information from my mind. But then again, if this was for the greater good, if my life's work was seen as such, it was acceptable. But what bugged me was that I had felt nothing. I hadn't even felt him in my mind. Or maybe I had just gotten used to it.

But at least this crisis or thing was taken care of now. And maybe, just maybe, this was a time for a new era where others would have to share this burden. This damn knowledge about knowing terrible places, victims, and casualties, and not being able to do anything about them yet.

Well, at least Damon still had the spark of wanting to make a change. I looked around the table as everyone was busy getting things done, and I couldn't help but think, will that spark fade away? Will this damn bitter acceptance take over? No more idealism about making a change, just a rough dose of reality in this sometimes so freaking ugly world we live in.